Gluu Flex vs LemonLDAP::NG
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted identity & sso options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Gluu Flex | LemonLDAP::NG |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 69 · Good | 41 · Fair |
| Category | Identity & SSO | Identity & SSO |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Perl |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 4,096 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, helm | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 31 | ★ 84 |
| First released | 2009 | 2005 |
| Replaces | Okta, Ping Identity | Okta, PingFederate |
What are Gluu Flex and LemonLDAP::NG?
Gluu Flex
Gluu provides a self-hostable identity platform for single sign-on, multi-factor authentication, and access management built on open standards. It supports OAuth, OIDC, SAML, and FIDO2.
- Single sign-on
- OAuth, OIDC and SAML
- FIDO2 strong authentication
- Kubernetes deployment
LemonLDAP::NG
LemonLDAP::NG is an open-source Web SSO, access management, and identity federation product. It supports SAML, OpenID Connect, and CAS, and protects web applications behind a configurable portal.
- Web SSO portal
- SAML and OIDC support
- CAS protocol
- Fine-grained access rules
Gluu Flex vs LemonLDAP::NG: key differences
Gluu Flex is written in TypeScript, while LemonLDAP::NG is built with Perl. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for Gluu Flex versus GPL-2.0 for LemonLDAP::NG. LemonLDAP::NG is the lighter option, starting around 1,024 MB of RAM against 4,096 MB for Gluu Flex. LemonLDAP::NG is the more established project (first released 2005), while Gluu Flex arrived in 2009. LemonLDAP::NG has the considerably larger community, at 84 GitHub stars versus 31.
Why pick each one
Choose Gluu Flex if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Written in TypeScript
Choose LemonLDAP::NG if…
- Mature and full-featured
- Many protocol options
Watch out for
- Complex configuration
- Perl stack is uncommon
Frequently asked questions
Is Gluu Flex or LemonLDAP::NG better?
Neither is universally better. LemonLDAP::NG has the larger community; both share a hard setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Gluu Flex and LemonLDAP::NG free and open-source?
Yes. Gluu Flex is licensed under Apache-2.0 and LemonLDAP::NG under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Gluu Flex and LemonLDAP::NG with Docker?
Gluu Flex: yes. LemonLDAP::NG: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Gluu Flex or LemonLDAP::NG?
LemonLDAP::NG has the smaller minimum footprint at 1,024 MB of RAM, compared to about 4,096 MB for Gluu Flex. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.